September 14, 2016
Submitted for the record by nominee for State Board of Education, former State Representative Tom McMillin
Viewable at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR1FUyVcnoY
The proposed transgender policy before you is an assault on parents and students. To be clear the recent meaningless changes that somehow now the government will now try to possibly enlighten parents that their son will now be going into the girl’s footlocker room and restrooms is a farce. Parents will routinely be ignored.
And what about the parents of all the other girls who now will be exposed to potentially boys in their locker rooms and restrooms? You plan to encourage government officials to keep those parents in the dark too, right? Don’t you? Of course you do. This is just another assault on many parents who send their children to public schools.
I know there are many parents who have pulled their children out of government schools due to "common core." Now this transgender policy will cause many more to remove their children from a system that is seen increasingly as hostile to parents, parental authorities, and the values many parents hold.
And now we have Mr. Austin, who two weeks ago used left wing attacks in saying these parents were haters. Maybe now he would say deplorable, for not wanting boys in girl’s locker rooms and bathrooms. I remember as chairman of the House Education Committee, I had a public school bureaucrat testify that parents actually don’t know what is best for their child. Those of you supporting this proposal before you obviously would agree with her.
Already there are reports in other parts of our country of mischievous boys taking advantage of this kind of policy to go into girl’s locker rooms and harass girls, bringing them to tears. But it is clear that those of you voting yes today have no concern for the girls in Michigan who will be physically and psychologically harassed due to this policy. Make no mistake; this proposed policy will not create better environments for health, safety, and learning opportunities for students. In fact, it will do just the opposite. and will thrust a more dangerous environment, psychologically, and perhaps physically, on students than what currently exists. Further, this policy will only add to the confusion of kids who may have been persuaded for a period short of time that they somehow are a member of the opposite sex.
It’s clear that legally there is no requirement from the Feds that you pass this harmful policy. Even if it were, I would hope that you would stand up to the Feds and oppose any unsafe anti-parent policy like this one. Pandering to the hard left in one’s party is no way to make education policies and spend taxpayer dollars. I would urge you for the safety of children and the traditional beliefs of the vast majority of Michiganders to respect parent’s rights to raise their children, stop assaulting parents and their values, stop calling them haters for thinking boys are boys and girls are girls, and reject this misguided policy that is before you today. Thank you.”
Submitted for the record by nominee for State Board of Education, former State Representative Tom McMillin
Viewable at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR1FUyVcnoY
The proposed transgender policy before you is an assault on parents and students. To be clear the recent meaningless changes that somehow now the government will now try to possibly enlighten parents that their son will now be going into the girl’s footlocker room and restrooms is a farce. Parents will routinely be ignored.
And what about the parents of all the other girls who now will be exposed to potentially boys in their locker rooms and restrooms? You plan to encourage government officials to keep those parents in the dark too, right? Don’t you? Of course you do. This is just another assault on many parents who send their children to public schools.
I know there are many parents who have pulled their children out of government schools due to "common core." Now this transgender policy will cause many more to remove their children from a system that is seen increasingly as hostile to parents, parental authorities, and the values many parents hold.
And now we have Mr. Austin, who two weeks ago used left wing attacks in saying these parents were haters. Maybe now he would say deplorable, for not wanting boys in girl’s locker rooms and bathrooms. I remember as chairman of the House Education Committee, I had a public school bureaucrat testify that parents actually don’t know what is best for their child. Those of you supporting this proposal before you obviously would agree with her.
Already there are reports in other parts of our country of mischievous boys taking advantage of this kind of policy to go into girl’s locker rooms and harass girls, bringing them to tears. But it is clear that those of you voting yes today have no concern for the girls in Michigan who will be physically and psychologically harassed due to this policy. Make no mistake; this proposed policy will not create better environments for health, safety, and learning opportunities for students. In fact, it will do just the opposite. and will thrust a more dangerous environment, psychologically, and perhaps physically, on students than what currently exists. Further, this policy will only add to the confusion of kids who may have been persuaded for a period short of time that they somehow are a member of the opposite sex.
It’s clear that legally there is no requirement from the Feds that you pass this harmful policy. Even if it were, I would hope that you would stand up to the Feds and oppose any unsafe anti-parent policy like this one. Pandering to the hard left in one’s party is no way to make education policies and spend taxpayer dollars. I would urge you for the safety of children and the traditional beliefs of the vast majority of Michiganders to respect parent’s rights to raise their children, stop assaulting parents and their values, stop calling them haters for thinking boys are boys and girls are girls, and reject this misguided policy that is before you today. Thank you.”